Key Traits of Entrepreneurs

It's something we hear often, " ______ is what makes me an entrepreneur." It's a mindset or a trait that is sort of undefined, we know that there is something about entrepreneurs that make them tick a little differently but it's not something that can be traced simply to a gene or science. So we've looked at studies done all over the nation to try to come up with some "entrepreneur traits".

Here are a couple top 3 list of different traits that entrepreneurs have:

Top 3 Personality Traits of Entrepreneurs: (1)

1) Honesty

2) Good Communicator

3) Strong Will

Not that entrepreneurs were are known for being dishonest, but it was interesting to see honesty come up as the most frequently seen trait among entrepreneurs in this study. The other two traits were somewhat expected traits but honesty came up time and time again with entrepreneurs.

Top 3 Social Skills of Entrepreneurs: (2)

1) Negotiation Skills

2) Persuasiveness

3) Energy

This study focused mostly on what social skills were seen most often with entrepreneurs, and which skills, during discussions with investors, were most seen. The three skills showed were not only found in many entrepreneurs, but they were also skills that were tied highly to success in selling your company or companies ideas to investors.

Top 3 Finance Skills Sought in Entrepreneurs:(3)

(NOTE: This list is not necessarily what is seen most in entrepreneurs but what VCs and Angel Investors want to see in Entrepreneurs)

1) Financial Forecasting Skills

2) Cash Management Skills

3) The Ability to Analyze Financial Statements

As entrepreneurs look to find funding these are traits that they should look to acquire in order to be able to impress investors.

Obviously these entrepreneurial traits are not hard and fast rules, they are simple generalities that have been a part of conclusions through scientific studies. It's true that you may be an entrepreneur and not have any of these traits but these are the most often found and most often sought after traits in the industry.

Here is more info on other entrepreneurial trait discussion on the Esteem Blog: